1/7/2026 - The most recent post encouraged us to focus on the legacy we would like to leave behind and concentrate our efforts on what is truly most important to us. Might it be possible that the best way to leave our legacy is to connect deeply with the legacies of those we most admire?
A number of years ago, I wrote something that Margie liked so much she had it framed as a gift to me. It reads "The best way to stand on the shoulders of giants is to hoist them upon our own". In other words, if we want to elevate our lives, we can do no better than to elevate those we most respect and cherish and draw upon their inspiration and example.
Imagine that you are writing a book that captures the meaning, purpose, and essence of who you are. Who would you dedicate that book to? Who would be counted in your "acknowledgements" section? How can we hoist those people on our shoulders each day, week, month, and year by following their examples?
In furthering the legacies of those we love and respect through our actions and accomplishments, we build a life worthy of legacy. By honoring others through our example, we live an honorable life.
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1/6/2026 - I have been touched by the number of traders who have reached out, including ones who shared their personal experiences with Margie. It's amazing how we have so much more impact than we realize when we live the right kinds of lives.
How would you like to be remembered after you leave this earth? What impacts would you want to have; what memories would you like to leave? These are important measures of wealth, and yet we can spend more time anguishing over day to day P/L and ups/downs than on doing the things that enrich our lives--and the lives of others.
Here we are in a new year, so here's a great new year's challenge:
Imagine that you will pass away at the end of the year. Knowing that, how would you want to spend 2026? What would you most want to do to cement your legacy--your impact on those you love, on your community, and on the world?
In this exercise, every single day that passes places you one day closer to your own passing. There's no time to fret about bad trading or daily frustrations. Your single mission is to live your life in a way that will truly live on in its positive influence.
This exercise is more than the making of a new year's resolution. It is turning your life into an expression of your resolve.
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1/5/2026 - Margie Steenbarger, my wife of 42 years, passed away this weekend. For me, it's been a tremendous loss and also an inspiration. Family members have come from all over to be with each other and to celebrate her life. We have been sharing photos and stories and have created a website where all our memories can be shared for years to come. Leaving a legacy means leaving others with experiences and lessons that make everyone better. A life well-lived is a life that keeps living even beyond our passing. It lives on with those whose lives we have touched.So what is the mark on the world that you will be leaving when your days come to an end? How will you live on in ways that enrich the lives of others? It's great to focus on P/L and the next set of trade ideas, but that will never build your legacy. It is how we impact others that makes the mark that can't be erased.
What are you doing right now that will make a positive difference later?
With Margie's passing, a close family has grown even closer and family members that were only loosely connected are now committed to one another. That was Margie's legacy: building lasting bonds--in the students she taught, in her family, and, yes, with me. With her passing, I am committed to becoming a better bond-builder and crafting a legacy as meaningful and valuable as hers.
A saying in the Jewish religion is "May their memory be a blessing", taken from Proverbs 10:7 ("The memory of the righteous is blessed"). When we leave a positive legacy, we don't leave others with a sense of loss, but a sense of having been blessed.
The legacy we build is the most important P/L of all.
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